New kids on the stage

For these next-gen actors, theatre holds as much appeal as stardom in cinema

- BY ANJULY MATHAI

As a child, Muhammad Ali Baig was convinced he would never follow in the footsteps of his father, the legendary thespian Qadir Ali Baig.

He found theatre too intense. Then there was the inevitable disappointment—months of rehearsals, costume designing, stitching and set building would all go in a few shows. To young Muhammad, it seemed a waste of time and effort. So, after his studies, he went into ad filmmaking, directing over 450 ad films and social documentaries in seven countries in less than a decade. It did not satisfy, though. It was on his father's 20th death anniversary, when he heard from some of the top Indian theatre personalities about the high regard in which they held his father, that he realised he had a responsibility to safeguard Qadir's legacy. That was his initiation into theatre. He founded the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation and the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival in Hyderabad in 2005.

“When we started, it was a five-day festival,” says Muhammad. “Everyone said that to get audiences to come watch one play in Hyderabad would be a task, how do you expect them to come five days in a row? But they did, and what started 20 years ago as a son's tribute has now become a city's festival.” He says it is extremely fulfilling to bring to life his father's vision of a vibrant theatre scene in the city. With theatre groups, local productions and venues mushrooming, and audiences growing manifold, the Qadir Ali Baig festival has revived theatre in Hyderabad.

In its 20th edition, the festival has a unique theme: 'Stalwarts to Next-Gen.' “We have presented the best of theatre for the last 20 years,” says Muhammad. “Now it should move to the next-gen, because there is a promising crop of actors, writers, directors and designers that is coming up. These are the people who will take theatre forward.”